BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 11
By Fidan Babayeva - Trend:
The UAE accounted for the largest share of Azerbaijan's saffron exports since the beginning of 2020, Chairman of the Azerbaijani Association of Saffron Producers and Exporters Adalat Abdullayev told Trend.
"During the quarantine regime in the country, no significant changes in exports were observed. Saffron exports accounted for a small volume in 2019, but in 2020, it is planned to increase saffron production, which will directly affect the export volume," said Abdullayev.
“The quality of Absheron saffron is the best in the world. This is evidenced by the results of analyzes performed in the US, France and Iran. However, most manufacturers improperly dry saffron, and also use herbal additives, which significantly worsens its quality,” he said.
“The increase in production of Azerbaijani saffron depends on the number of sales. It is planned to expand the geography of exports, and we are currently holding necessary negotiations,” Abdullayev noted.
The chairman also emphasized that about 150-200 kilograms of saffron were grown in Azerbaijan in 2019.
Association of Saffron Producers and Exporters was established in Azerbaijan on June 4, 2019. Currently, about 15 hectares of land are allotted to saffron in the villages of Baku, while during the period of the USSR, the areas occupied by this culture reached several hundred hectares.
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